Blade.org Launches Security Tools

Citing growing membership in its Blade.org organization, IBM Monday touted new security tools developed by group members for BladeCenter servers.

Blade.org, formed in February, is geared to drive collaboration and development of new technologies for IBM’s blade servers. IBM said that about 20 new companies have recently joined the group, bringing the total membership to about 60.

Blade.org member OpenService has ported its Security Management Center software to the BladeCenter line. The software collects and analyzes security data to help enterprises more quickly identify and block security threats. Another Blade.org member, DataCom Systems, has rolled out its digital surveillance tool for the BladeCenter line. The tool, which is called DataCom Digital Video Surveillance Solution and is geared for the law enforcement, gaming and financial industries, allows users to more easily store, manage and remotely access data from digital surveillance cameras. Blade.org member Avnet Partner Solutions, of Avnet Inc., will distribute both products.

IBM along with Hewlett-Packard owns the lion’s share of the blade-server market, which market research firm IDC expects to grow to US$10 billion by 2009.

IBM earlier this year rolled out a new BladeCenter chassis and several blade servers, including a blade based on the Cell processor IBM is developing with Sony and Toshiba for Sony’s PlayStation game console. IBM is targeting the Cell processor-based blade for computation-intensive workloads and broadband-media applications and believes it will have the greatest impact for applications that involve streaming data or image manipulation in such industries as medical imaging and life sciences.

— Shelley Solheim, IDG News Service

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